ARĀ (ARAJAS). Daughter of Śukra maharṣi. Ikṣvāku
begot three sons, Daṇḍa, Vikukṣi and Nimi. After his
father's death Daṇḍa became king of the country bet-
ween the Vindhya and the Himālayas. In the course
of a hunting expedition once Daṇḍa saw and was imme-
diately attracted by the charms of Arā, daughter of
Śukra maharṣi. He committed rape on her and she
told her father about the attack by Daṇḍa. The Maha-
rṣi asked his daughter to do tapas, and further told
her that he would burn Daṇḍa's kingdom by a rain of
fire. Arā did tapas, and at the behest of the Maharṣi
Indra destroyed Daṇḍa's kingdom by a downpour of a
rain of fire. Afterwards this place became a terrible
forest where neither birds nor animals lived, and came
to be known as Daṇḍakāraṇya. (Uttara Rāmāyaṇa).